May 11, 2021
Oslo, Norway – May 11, 2021 - Hemispherian AS (“Hemispherian” or the “Company”), an innovative Norwegian preclinical pharmaceutical company focused on epigenetic therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, is delighted to announce the formation of its Clinical Advisory Board (CAB) by appointing as Chairman Dr Roger Stupp, Chief of Neuro-Oncology in the Department of Neurology and Paul C Bucy Professor of Neurological Surgery at Northwestern University Chicago and as members Dr. Michael Lim, Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford University; Dr. Monika Hegi Head of the Laboratory of Brain Tumour Biology and Genetics at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) in Lausanne; and Dr. Einar O. Vik-Mo, Head of the Surgical Neuro-Oncology section at Oslo University Hospital. The advisory board – comprising leading experts in their fields and having significant experience with novel technologies and their translation in the field of brain cancer - will provide external advice, guidance, and support to the Company, shaping the continuing preclinical and clinical development of the GLIX family of anticancer pharmaceuticals.
“I am excited to provide advice and guidance to the Hemispherian team,” says Dr Roger Stupp, the Chair of the CAB. “The preclinical data is encouraging and forms the foundation for advancing preclinical and later clinical studies.”
— Dr Roger Stupp, Chair of the CAB
“Hemispherian’s lead pharmaceuticals show great promise in precision glioblastoma multiforme treatment,” says Dr. Einar Vik-Mo, “Hemispherian’s ongoing collaboration with the Vilhelm Magnus Laboratory at Oslo University Hospital will refine their targeted approach to treating glioblastoma multiforme.”
— Dr Einar Vik-Mo
“I am thrilled that Dr Roger Stupp, Dr Michael Lim, Dr Monika Hegi and Dr Einar Vik-Mo have joined the Hemispherian Clinical Advisory Board,” said Dr Adam Robertson, Hemispherian’s Chief Scientific Officer. “Their important and unique expertise will contribute greatly to Hemispherian’s work to improve and extend the lives of people living with cancer by helping advance the Company’s novel class of small molecule drugs (GLIX) into clinical trials.”
— Dr Adam Robertson, CSO
Introducing the members of the Hemispherian Clinical Advisory Board:
Dr. Roger Stupp, MD
Dr. Roger Stupp is Chief of Neuro-Oncology in the Departments of Neurology and Neurological Surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Co-Director of the Northwestern Medicine Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. As Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives, he is instrumental in the development and oversight of Lurie Cancer Center’s strategic scientific initiatives applying advanced technologies and collaborative approaches to accelerate and widen the scope of clinical research. Dr. Stupp’s clinical interests include the multimodality management of primary and secondary brain tumors, head and neck tumors, and lung cancers, as well as new drug development and the association of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Dr. Stupp’s work has repeatedly led to the establishment of a new standard of care for newly diagnosed glioblastoma, namely he was instrumental in developing and establishing the combination of temozolomide and radiotherapy, and more recently, for the clinical development of Tumor Treating Fields in brain tumors.
Dr. Michael Lim, MD
Dr. Michael Lim is the Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford University, Stanford California. He is a board-certified neurosurgeon specializing in brain tumors and trigeminal neuralgia. Dr. Michael Lim is a global leader in cancer immunotherapy with a strong focus on neurological tumors. Dr. Lim has extensive clinical experience in treating brain tumors by deploying the most advanced surgical techniques. In addition to running a successful laboratory, Dr. Lim has experience in developing novel therapies and advancing these pharmaceuticals into the clinic. Dr. Lim has published more than 200 scientific articles on neuropathic pain, glioblastoma multiforme, and gliomas. Such publications have appeared in high-profile journals such as Science Translational Medicine, Clinical Cancer Research, Lancet Oncology, and Nature Immunology.
Dr. Monika Hegi, PhD
Dr. Monika Hegi is the Head of the Laboratory of Brain Tumour Biology and Genetics at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and Professor at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Dr Monika Hegi is the recipient of numerous awards including the Victor Levin for Neuro-Oncology research. She has authored more than 100 scientific publications in the most prestigious scientific journals. She specializes in the identification of predictive factors in therapeutic response and in the exploration of novel druggable targets. Dr. Hegi’s research focuses on glioma epigenetics, molecular mechanisms of gliomas, and translational research.
Dr. Einar Vik-Mo, MD, PhD
Dr. Einar O. Vik-Mo is the Head of the Surgical Neuro-Oncology section at the Department of Neurosurgery, Oslo University Hospital in Norway. The Department of Neurosurgery performs approximately 600 tumor surgeries each year and is one of the largest in Scandinavia. Dr. Vik-Mo is a member of the Norwegian Cancer Society’s brain cancer expert group. Dr. Vik-Mo has PhD training in tumor cell biology and immunotherapy, and is the principal investigator on several early phase studies on innovative therapies. His main surgical focus is on malignant brain tumors, intraoperative imaging and monitoring.
About Hemispherian AS
Hemispherian is an innovative preclinical pharmaceutical company focused on developing a novel class of small molecule drugs (GLIX) that target the TET2 enzyme as an epigenetic therapy for particularly aggressive cancers. The Company’s lead compound, GLIX1, is currently in late stage preclinical development for glioblastoma, a deadly cancer of the central nervous system. Hemispherian is further focused on developing a companion diagnostics tool to support patient selection for optimal therapeutic response to GLIX1. Hemispherian is based in Oslo, Norway. For more information, visit www.hemispherian.com.
Contact:
Zeno Albisser, CEO
Gaustadalléen 21
0349 Oslo
zeno@hemispherian.com
+47 406 03 455
www.hemispherian.com